Locomotive feed-water-heater system



E. A. AVERILL. LOCOMOTIVE FEED WATER HEATER SYSTEM.

APPLICATION man Nov. 11. m9.

1,429,553, I PatentedSept. 19,1922.

WITNESS Patented Sept.

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wat orr cs.

EARL A. svnnrnnormounrvnmvon, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOE TO LOCOMOTIVE FEED WATER HEATER COMPANY, A

. CORPORATION OF DELAWARE.

LOCOMOTIVE rnnn-wA'rEn-HEATER srs'rmvr.

Application filed November To (LZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that/I, EARL A. AVERILL, a

citizen of the UnitedStatcs, residing at Mount Vernon, in the county of Westchester and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Locomotive Feed-Water-Heater Systems, of

of feed water heater is utilized, such type of heater, since it is required to handle very hot water, necessitatesits location at some distance above the suction line of the feed water heater pump in order to provide the requisite suction head to'pump hot water. My invention relates, in general, to installations of this character wherein the heater is located at a point above the average low level of the water in the tender. particular object of my'invention to pro- 'vide means for raising the cold water from the tender to the feed water heater and also to provide additional means for-controlling automatically the quantity of Water so elevated in direct proportion to the demands of the locomotive.

These objects will more clearly appear hereinafter.

Elevating the water from the tender to the heater may be accomplished in a 'num ber of ways among which are the following A third cylinder designed to handle cold water exclusively may be added to the feed water heater pump or arrangements can be made to use thespace on one side of the:

usual water piston for hot water while the other side is used for cold water. But these two methods are open to objection inasmuch as the mechanical complications resulting tend toward unreliability, and the increased other side is'handling th'ecold water, is sin- It is the 17, 1919. Serial No. 338,636.

advisable in locomotive practice and should be avoided in so far as possible. In order to avoid this objection, I propose to use an injector or steam syphon to raise the water from the tender to the heater. I have illustrated my invention in its preferred form in the accompanying drawings, wherein: p I p The figure is a side elevation in somewhat diagrammatic form of a locomotive and the forward portion of its tender with my invention applied thereto.

Applied to the locomotive, I'have shown a standard boiler feed pump Aof anysuitable type and having but one water cyl nder in line with the steam cylinder. The pump .is preferably located in as low a position on the locomotive as each individual installation will permit. It is shown in the drawing as hung on the side of the boiler. A feed water heater B of the open or jet type is located at a point sufliciently above the suction line of the boiler feedpump to insure a suction head for the hot water which is being fed by the pump into the boiler. Water from the tender, C is supplied to theheater B by means of the flexible hose 1 and the pipe 2, and exhaust steam from the cylinders is supplied to the heater through the pipe 3 .in which there may belocated an oil separator D. The heated water from the feed water heaterB is conducted through the pipe 4 to the suction inlet o or the boiler feed pump from which it is discharged through thepipe 6 and the check valve 7 into the boilerEof the locomotive.

The feed water heater pump is operated in the usual manner. Steam from the boiler fis'conducted through the pipe 8 to the steam cylinder 9 otlithe pump and is ex'hausted throughthe pipe 10 which divides into two :branches 1'1and'l2, controlled by a two-way valve F for a purpose which will appear below. Pipe 11 discharges into the heater I and pipe 12 into an injector or steam syphon G located in the supply pipe 2 from the ten- 1 -der to the heater, by means of which the water is lifted from the tender to'the heater.

In one position the valve F establishes com munication between the pipes 10 and 12 and in the other position it establishes communication between the pipes 10 and 11. The

position of this valve F is automatically determined by the level of the water within the feed water heater B by means 01"? any preferred construction and for a purpose which will also appear below.

Within the heater B, I provide a float H which is connected to the pivoted levers 13, l-it and 15 in such manner as to move the valve F to the position in which it establishes communication between the pipes 10 and 12 when the level of the water in the heater B is low and the float H in a position toward the bottom of the heater B, as indicated in the drawing. lVhen the level of the water in the heater B rises, the float H also rises and at some point will shut oil communication between pipes 10 and 12 and open communication between pipes 10 and 11. The operation of the system is as follows: Supposing that valve F is in position to establish communication between the pipes 10 and 12. Exhaust steam from the boiler feed pump enters the injector G and forces'water from the tender C to the upper end of the feed water heater B through the pipe 2. It is necessary in order to ensure the proper action of the feed water heater, that the water level in the heater should not be allowed to rise or fall beyond certain predetermined levels. Therefore, the amount of water entering the heater through pipe 2 must be equal to or greater than the amount discharged through pipe 4. If it be somewhat greater the level will gradually rise carrying with it the float H until the predetermined upper level is reached whereupon valve F will shut off communication between pipes 10 and 12 and will establish communi; cation between pipes 10 and 11, the exhaust steam from the feed water heater pump en-- tering the heater to be utilized to heat the cold water in addition to the exhaust steam coming from the cylinder through the pipe 3. When the level of the water falls to the lower predetermined point, the valve F will once more establish communication between the pipe 10 and the injector Gr and the cycle ot operation will, be repeated.

It will be understood that I have illustrated the mechanism for controlling the supply of steam to the injector G in more or less diagrammatic form inasmuch as it is notessential to utilize any particular mechanism. the mechanism I have shown being simple and well adapted for this use. Any means may be employed other than a float such for example as a diaphragm, a bucket or other accepted means of utilizing water level. as a controlling medium. All that is required is that the supply of water to the heater should be under the control of the level or the water within the heater, and

this can be effected by controlling the supply of operating fiuid or steam to the in jector, pump or other mechanism used for raising the water from the tender to the heater.

While the exhaust steam injector G is shown in the drawing as being operated entirely by the exhaust steam from the boiler tt'eed pump, it will be readily understood that it need not be entirely confined to this source of supply, if conditions demand or require greater power than can be delivered from this single source. Some of the exhaust steam from the locomotive cylinders or from the air pump or from any other source on the locomotive or even live steam from the boiler may be utilized if necessary.

I claim:

1. A locomotive feed water heating system comprising in combination a supply receptacle, a feed water heater, located at a point above the average low level of the water in the supply receptacle, steam actuated means for elevating the water from the supply receptacle to the heater, a boiler feed pump for pumping the water from the heater into the boiler, and means under the influence of the water in the heater for controlling the supply of steam to the water elevating means.

2. A locomotive feed water heating system comprising in combination, a feed water heater, a supply receptacle, a connection between the supply receptacle and the heater, a pump for forcing water from the heater into the boiler, steam actuated means for supplying the heater with water from the supply receptacle through the connection therebetween, means under the control of the water in the heater for regulating the supply of steam to the water supply means, and a connection from the steam supply to the heater.

3. A locomotive feed water heating: system comprising in combination, a feed water heater, a supply receptacle, a steam operated boiler feed pump, a connection between the heater and the supply receptacle, steam actuated means tor delivering water, through said connection, from the supply receptacle to the heater, a connection between the steam exhaust ot the boiler feed pump and the water delivery means, a connection between the steam exhaust of the boiler "feed pump and the heater, and a valve under the influence Of the water in the heater for controlling the steam to the two connections last mentioned.

4. A locomotive feed water heating system comprising in combination a feed water heater, a water supply receptacle, means for conveying water from the supply receptacle to the heater, means for forcing the water from the heater into the boiler, and means under the influence of the water in the heater for controlling the means which conveys water from the supply receptacle to the heater.

5. A locomotive feed water heating system influence of the Water in the heater for concomprising in combination a feed Water trolling the supply of steam to the water heater, a Water supply receptacle, steam acconveying means. 10 tuated means for conveying the water'from In testimony whereof, I have hereunto 5 the supply receptacle to the heater, a boiler signed my name.

feed. pump for pumping the Water from the heater into thev boiler, and means under the v EARL A. AVERILL. 

